This is a list of characters in the British comic strip Judge Dredd appearing in 2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine and related publications. They are listed alphabetically by surname, in categories. (Major characters have their own articles: see the navigation box at the bottom of this article.)
Judges of Mega-City One
Anderson
See Judge Anderson.
Beeny
First appearance: Judge Dredd Megazine vol. 3 issue 20 (1996). Created by John Wagner and Colin MacNeil.
America Beeny is the child of America Jara and Bennett Beeny, two main characters who appeared in the first America story. America Beeny appeared briefly in the second story, but her first main story was the third in the America trilogy, in which she took a lead role.
In 2119 Beeny was enrolled as a cadet in the Academy of Law by her father just before his untimely death, and served well enough to qualify for the accelerated graduation program. In her tenth year, as with all tenth year cadets, she was required to plan and execute a criminal investigation on her own. Allowed to choose her supervisor, she chose to work with Judge Dredd.
In 2130 she graduated to full judge at age 15. In late 2137 Beeny and Dredd investigated a Total War terrorist cell which had assassinated a member of the Council of Five, Mega-City One's highest legislative body. Following the arrest of the perpetrators, Dredd recommended that Beeny be appointed to the vacant Council seat, and Chief Judge Hershey agreed. She was briefly removed from the Council in early 2141, when the entire Council was dismissed by the new chief judge, Judge Logan. However, shortly afterwards Logan acknowledged that this had been a mistake, and he reinstated her.
Castillo
First appearance: 2000 AD #891 (1994). Created by John Wagner and Mark Harrison.
Judge Laverne Castillo was a street judge who was taken off street duty when she froze in combat and allowed a fellow judge to be shot and seriously wounded. Transferred to administrative duties, she became the personal aide to Chief Judge McGruder and accompanied the Chief Judge on a diplomatic visit to the planet Hestia. When their spaceship crashed there, Castillo so impressed Judge Dredd that on their return home he recommended that she be transferred back to street duty. This time she excelled in her chosen role, and was Dredd's sidekick in a number of stories until she was murdered in 2123 by aliens after eight years on the force.
During her time on Hestia, Castillo developed a secret and unrequited crush on Judge Dredd. Writer John Wagner never developed this theme any further with her character, but this idea was taken up again with the character Galen DeMarco and used to greater effect, with significant repercussions in the relevant stories.
Deacon
First appearance: 2000 AD #2082 (2018). Created by Michael Carroll and Jake Lynch.
Judge Francesco Deacon was one of the first street judges in the 2030s. Before becoming a judge he was in the military police. He first appeared in Michael Carroll's novel Judges: The Avalanche, and simultaneously in the Judge Dredd comic strip story "Paradigm Shift" in 2000 AD #2082–2086 in May 2018, also written by Carroll and with art by Jake Lynch. He has since appeared in a minor role in the series "Dreadnoughts" in the Judge Dredd Megazine.
Dekker
First appearance: 2000 AD #370 (1984). Created by John Wagner, Alan Grant (writers) and Kim Raymond (artist).
Judge Dekker first appeared in 1984 as a rookie judge, being successfully evaluated by Dredd as to her suitability to become a full judge. She did not reappear in the strip again until 1991, when writer Garth Ennis used her as a recurring secondary character in several 1991 and 1992 strips – most prominently as the investigating judge against the "Muzak Killer". By this time an experienced street judge, she was killed in the 1992 story "Judgement Day" (set in 2114). Upon her death Dredd considered that she was "...the best rookie he'd ever had, bar none." He later hallucinated her during his crucifixion in "Goodnight Kiss".
An alternative, evil version of Dekker from a parallel universe appeared in the 1994 novel Dread Dominion.
Dolman
First appearance: 2000 AD #1378 (2004). Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.
Dolman was a cadet at the Academy of Law. He was cloned from Judge Dredd's DNA. Although he performed well at the Academy, he resented his lack of control over his own life and chose to leave the Academy and Mega-City One. He joined the Space Corps and was transferred to an offworld Academy, though he regularly returned to the city; keeping in touch with Vienna Dredd and took classes at night school.
Shortly after "Day of Chaos", Dolman returned to the city: he felt obliged to help out, especially with his family in danger. He was an advisor and non-combatant in the Corps by now, and first arrived in the city when Marines were asked to break the siege at Sue Perkins Block. Colonel Lynn Easter viewed him with mild contempt, especially when he tried to stop her bombing the block, but Dolman used his judge training to cripple a marine, forcing her to call off the airstrike, and then assist Dredd in stopping the siege. (For most of the story Dolman went unnamed, leaving his return a surprise.) He was injured in the process and sent to hospital, with Dredd calling him "a judge" over Dolman's protests. The Corps were left angry that Dolman had shot a marine – a decision Dredd agreed with – and Easter and two others assaulted him in hospital, but Dolman was able to take them down.
Joe Dredd
See Judge Dredd.
Eustace Fargo
First appearance: 2000 AD #559 (1988) but had been mentioned earlier. Created by John Wagner, Alan Grant (writers) and Brendan McCarthy.
Chief Judge Eustace Fargo was the first chief judge of Mega-City One (and indeed of the entire United States, before it was divided) and the source of the DNA from which Judge Dredd was cloned. In the 1995 film Judge Dredd Fargo was played by Max von Sydow.
Almost every appearance of Fargo in the comic has been a flashback, since he was believed to have died in 2051, decades before the stories in the comic. However, in 2006–07 the story Origins, written by John Wagner, described a secret history in which Fargo's death had been faked and he had survived in suspended animation until 2129.
As a result of a massive increase in violent gang crime, US president Thomas Gurney appointed Fargo Special Prosecutor for Street Crime. When the Constitution was amended to allow the creation of an elite law enforcement agency to convict criminals without due process, Fargo was made the first "chief judge" in 2031. Fargo resigned and attempted suicide in 2051, but the matter was covered up by deputy chief judges Solomon and Goodman, who fabricated a story that he had been killed in a drive-by shooting. In fact he survived, and was placed in suspended animation until such time as medical science advanced to the point where his injuries could be fully healed. He was succeeded as chief judge by Solomon.
In 2070, after the Third World War devastated the United States, Fargo was revived, and he advised the chief judge – now Goodman – to overthrow President Bob Booth and take over the government, which was done. Fargo survived an assassination attempt by Morton Judd, but his condition deteriorated and he was returned to suspended animation. Shortly afterwards he was kidnapped by Judd's men, and was thought lost forever. But in 2129 it was discovered that he was being held by terrorists in the Cursed Earth, and Judge Dredd led a team to rescue him. Fargo was revived, but he was beyond saving and died shortly afterwards.
Francisco
First appearance: 2000 AD #1520 (2007). Created by John Wagner and Rufus Dayglo.
Judge Dan Francisco was chief judge of Mega-City One from 2131 to 2134, except for a brief period when he was deposed by his deputy, Judge Sinfield, from 2131 to 2132.
Before becoming chief judge, Francisco was a street judge and the subject of a 24-hour reality show called The Streets Of Dan Francisco – a major public relations boost for Justice Department. In 2131 Judges Sinfield, Cardew and Millan began a campaign to run Francisco as a candidate to replace Judge Hershey as chief judge, running on an anti-mutant platform. He won by a landslide.
Mutant townships in the Cursed Earth were set up, to which to expel the mutant citizens. Francisco also had Hershey and Dredd given new postings, off-world and in the townships respectively, until the mutant issue died down; how much of this was his own idea and how much was Sinfield's remained ambiguous.
Sinfield dosed Francisco with a powerful hypnotic drug, persuaded him to resign, and succeeded him as acting chief judge. Both Dredd and the mayor were left confused and suspicious by Francisco's sudden collapse in confidence and by his support of Sinfield. This eventually led to an investigation, and Sinfield's crime was uncovered. Sinfield was arrested, and Francisco returned to office. Francisco appointed Dredd to the Council of Five.
In 2134 Dredd learned of a terrorist plot to infect Mega-City One with a deadly pathogen. Dredd recommended a ground assault on the terrorist's camp, but Francisco overruled him and ordered an air strike. Consequently, the fact that it was not the real camp was not discovered until it was too late, and Mega-City One was infected. By the time the disease was contained, 350 million people had been killed (out of an initial population of around 400 million), and Francisco resigned in shame of "presiding over the worst disaster in our history". He appointed Judge Hershey as his successor.
"Dirty Frank"
First appearance: 2000 AD #1389 (2004). Created by Rob Williams and Henry Flint.
Judge "Dirty Frank" is a judge who has been undercover for so long that he has lost his sanity. He refers to himself in the third person, has dubious personal hygiene and can urinate for twenty three minutes non-stop. During the investigation into Judge Smiley, Frank was wounded and later declared dead, but this was simply a ruse and he was once again sent undercover this time abroad to locate and infiltrate the remaining agents of Smiley. According to the introduction in the collected graphic novel, his physical appearance is based on Alan Moore, since his supposed death he has taken a more cleaner, trimmed and tidy appearance.
Gerhart
SJS Judge Alex Gerhart was Dredd's interrogator when a Tek-Division scientist was murdered. He used the opportunity to pressure Dredd about whether he felt guilty for Chaos Day, knowing it was revenge for his own destruction of East-Meg One. Gerhart himself did feel Dredd was responsible. When their paths next crossed, he was hospitalised saving Dredd from a missile attack: he intended to one day arrest the man and put him on trial for Chaos Day.
In 2136, Gerhart was sent with Dredd and a marine squad to investigate a potential uprising on the Titan penal colony.
In 2140 he resigned and took the Long Walk.
Gerhart was murdered by insane SJS Judge Pin in 2141 for being a close associate of Dredd.
Giant
Judge Giant can refer to either of two characters. They are father and son. Their first names have never been given.
They are both descended from another 2000 AD character, 'Giant' (real name John Clay), who starred in his own series in 2000 AD, Harlem Heroes, which ran in progs (issues) 1–27 of the comic. John 'Giant' Clay made a cameo appearance in the Judge Dredd strip in prog 28. Since Judge Dredd himself did not appear in 2000 AD until prog 2, the Giant family's appearance in the comic predates Dredd's debut in his own strip.
Judge Giant Sr
First appearance: 2000 AD #27 (1977). Created by John Wagner and Ian Gibson.
The original Judge Giant first appeared in prog 27 of the comic (1977) as a rookie judge who had just graduated from the Academy of Law. Set in 2099, his first appearance in the Judge Dredd story "The Academy of Law" (progs 27–28) was a crossover with Harlem Heroes, set decades after the events depicted in that series. It featured a cameo appearance by his father, John 'Giant' Clay, as a very old man at the end of the story. "The Academy of Law" is also notable for the debut of another important supporting character, Judge Griffin, as well as the Academy of Law itself. It tells of Rookie Giant's Final Assessment, a grueling test of his judgment and abilities under Judge Dredd's supervision. Dredd is satisfied and Giant becomes a full Street Judge.
Judge Giant became Dredd's recurring sidekick for the next four years. His most important story was the 23-episode Judge Cal storyline, in which he first saved Dredd from being executed and then fought with him against Cal's renegade judges and alien mercenaries (Kleggs) until the end. Although he had an important role in that story, his appearances in later tales were generally little more than mere cameos, and his importance within the strip tailed off somewhat. He was finally killed off in the "Block Mania" story (1981) while trying to arrest Orlok just before the Apocalypse War. The unheroic circumstances of his death (he was shot in the back in a brief scene) were controversial among fans, since although they were used to seeing popular characters killed off in 2000 AD, they were disappointed with the cursory way in which Giant's death was depicted. In an interview years later, writer Alan Grant said: "When we wrote the death of Giant, I thought it was a great idea to kill him off in such a casual, natural (for a judge) way. But when the reader outcry came, I was startled and forced to see things from their point of view."
Judge Giant Jr
First appearance: 2000 AD #651 (1989). Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.
In 1989 the story "Young Giant" established that the original Judge Giant had fathered a child in 2101, something prohibited to judges. Orphaned when his mother was murdered in front of him shortly after the Apocalypse War in 2104, Giant's son had been inducted into the Academy of Law, where he performed extremely well but with a worrying streak of violence that threatened his ability as a judge. With Dredd's help, Cadet Giant was able to get past his deep-rooted anger and brought his mother's killer to justice.
Unlike his father, who became a full judge in his first story, Cadet Giant remained a cadet for five years during his recurring appearances in the strip. He was a major protagonist in one of Judge Dredd's biggest and most significant epics, "Necropolis", even taking over the lead role from Dredd himself in half a dozen episodes (including two in which Dredd did not even appear). He led a group of cadets who remained free of Dark Judge control and, at one point, were personally hunted down by Judge Mortis. He would later be one of the first people to battle Sabbat's zombies during Judgement Day. Eventually, he became the youngest cadet ever to graduate from the Academy, at the age of fifteen, having been fast-tracked. In a story reminiscent of his father's debut, Giant's Final Assessment was conducted by Judge Dredd, who passed him as fit to become a judge in 2116.
The new Judge Giant has made several appearances since, and actually saved the whole world from a deadly virus in 2117. He is apparently one of the best judges in Mega-City One, although he has not featured in any story to the extent that he did in "Necropolis".
(In a six-page one-off story in the Judge Dredd Megazine #216 called "Whatever Happened to John 'Giant' Clay?" (2004), Judge Giant met his grandfather for the first time. The original Giant had not appeared in any story since 1978, and this story ended with his death from old age.)